 Rojak is a colloquial Malay word for “eclectic mix,” and is the name for a Javanese dish that typically combines sliced fruit and vegetables with a spicy dressing. Flipping the script A viral video in Japan that satirizes the job interview process highlights the country’s changing labor market. Traditionally, Japanese employers had more power over prospective candidates because of the large, qualified workforce, and could be more selective in hiring. Job interviews tended to be demanding and scrutinous. But Japan Inc. is now a “seller’s market,” in which companies desperately need workers, giving new college graduates more power. The video by award-winning director Shinichiro Ueda, famous for an iconic 2017 zombie parody movie, pokes fun at the new dynamics: Three typical corporate types attempt to entice a job candidate, who flips the script by interviewing and admonishing them over their appearance and qualifications. The video’s virality is the latest sign that “companies had better adapt to the expectations of Gen Z job seekers,” US expat Mark Kennedy wrote in his Real Gaijin Substack. Unparalleled Chineseness A historic Chinese town that exhibits an unparalleled “level of Chineseness” is struggling to attract younger, digital-native tourists. Shangqiu, considered a “third-tier city” in China’s Henan province, sits on the remains of dynastic settlements spanning the last 4,000 years, and straddles the line between patriotism and nationalism, Yaling Jiang wrote in her newsletter Following the Yuan. The town showcases propaganda posters, and a local Miniso — a Chinese retail chain that usually employs Japanese-style branding — changed its sign to use Chinese characters. But China has thousands of “cookie-cutter old towns,” Yaling wrote, many of which are often manufactured to appear more ancient than they actually are. As a result, “real ones” like Shangqiu feel less distinctive, and have been unable to capitalize on their rich history. Concerned only with sound A jaunt through Tokyo’s record stores reflects the city’s diverse and rich musical tapestry — and its urban planning. Japan’s capital is known for its independent record stores and vibrant vinyl scene. At one shop, Will McCartney, who writes the music newsletter Noise Narrative, found a shelf dedicated to Studio Ghibli that offered soundtracks from the iconic animation company’s titles like Castle in The Sky and My Neighbour Totoro. Another store was focused on Japanese hardcore, a popular subgenre of punk rock. Elsewhere in the city, three record shops were located on different floors at a single address — Tokyo “works upwards rather than sideways” and is known for vertically layering street-facing commercial spaces, rather than having them all on the ground floor, McCartney noted. One of those stores felt like “a mad professor’s attic,” with stacks of records, cassettes, and CDs piled haphazardly. “To me, this is the perfect record store. Reigniting and bringing to life the ‘digging’ aspect of record shopping, concerned only with sound, not the way things look.” |